Current Members

Associate Professor with 15+ years in molecular genetics, cilia biology, and rare disease. He leads the Rare Disease Laboratory, combining C. elegans genetics, CRISPR/Cas9, advanced imaging, and open bioinformatics to study ciliopathies and neurodevelopmental disorders.

Ciliary biologist specialising in C. elegans cilia structure and membrane organisation. Pioneered work on Joubert syndrome protein ARL13B, IFT/BBSome regulation, cilia–cilia joining, and rare disease variant interpretation. Co-leads the Rare Disease Laboratory.

Researcher working on ciliopathies and neurodevelopmental disorder modelling using C. elegans. Experienced in CRISPR, transgenesis, and bioinformatics analyses. Contributing to CiliaHub, a database integrating ciliary gene annotations and disease associations.

Kaplan Lab · since January 2023

Investigating the kinesin motor protein OSM-3 to dissect its role in anterograde intraflagellar transport and its contribution to cilia assembly and elongation. By generating targeted fluorescent labelling and analysing phenotypes, she examines how disruptions in OSM-3 affect ciliary architecture, protein localisation, and signalling capacity. In parallel, she studies SEC24B, a key component of the COPII machinery, to define how alterations in cargo selection and ER-to-Golgi trafficking impact intracellular organisation and neuronal development using a disease-related C. elegans model.

Investigating the molecular mechanisms underlying neuronal development and neurodegeneration using C. elegans, she focuses on the role of SGSM3 (Small G Protein Signaling Modulator 3) in regulating intracellular trafficking and cellular organisation. By combining genetic approaches with fluorescence-based imaging, she analyses how alterations in SGSM3 affect protein localisation, vesicle dynamics, and neuronal morphology. Her work aims to uncover conserved mechanisms linking vesicle trafficking to neurodegenerative processes, providing insight into the molecular basis of related human disorders.

Kaplan Lab · since October 2023

MSc student since October 2023, investigating rare genetic diseases using C. elegans. Her thesis focuses on the DNAJC16 gene; she is also studying wdr-31 to understand how its structural domains control dynamics at the ciliary base and preserve ciliary compartmentalization. A broader aim of her work is to uncover the intricate relationship between cilia and mitochondria.

Strong background in wet-lab molecular techniques including the auxin-inducible degradation (AID) system. Outside the lab, she practises scientific illustration in Inkscape and design in Canva.

Kaplan Lab · since February 2024

Research Focus: Investigating the role of CDKL1 inhibition in modulating disease phenotypes associated with EFCAB7 deficiency, with a focus on neuronal function and axonal integrity. The work aims to uncover underlying mechanisms and evaluate its potential for therapeutic development.

Research interests: Neurobiology, molecular mechanisms of rare diseases, and therapeutic target discovery.

Research focuses on cilia biology and ciliopathies, with a particular interest in neurodegenerative aspects of these disorders. Currently investigating the roles of RAB18 in ciliary function — specifically how this small GTPase regulates membrane trafficking and contributes to cilia-related mechanisms — using C. elegans as a model organism. She aims to contribute to a better understanding of the molecular basis of neurodegenerative ciliopathies and support the development of future therapeutic approaches.

Her research focuses on the OLA-1 gene, investigating its role in cellular stress responses and intracellular homeostasis. She examines how loss of OLA-1 function reshapes cellular organisation and affects organismal physiology in C. elegans. In parallel, she investigates the kinesin motor protein OSM-3 to understand directed protein transport within cilia, analysing how disruption of OSM-3 influences ciliary structural organisation, precise protein targeting, and signalling networks.

Senior undergraduate student in Molecular Biology and Genetics at Abdullah Gül University. Her research initially explored the relationship between mitochondria and cilia, aiming to understand how organelle interactions contribute to neuronal function. She is currently investigating the roles of TTLL11 in microtubule polyglutamylation and NPHP2 in transition zone organisation, with the goal of uncovering how these mechanisms cooperate to maintain ciliary structure and function. A broader aim of her work is to better understand the molecular basis of ciliopathies and their relevance to human genetics.

Outside the lab, she is actively involved in social media content creation, producing reels and collaborating on digital content projects. She is also interested in creative design and visual storytelling.

Using C. elegans to study ciliary function and rare disease mechanisms, integrating computational analyses. Separately interested in circulating tumour cells and cancer genomics, with a focus on transcriptomic analysis.

Investigating the roles of MANF and GLG-1 in C. elegans to understand their functions in neuronal development and intracellular trafficking, with the aim of elucidating their contribution to neurodevelopmental defects and molecular mechanisms associated with rare diseases. She completed an internship at the Natural Bioactive Materials Laboratory at Ege University, gaining hands-on experience in biomaterials research and natural compound production.

Her TÜBİTAK project investigates the role of the RNF43 gene in neuronal development, focusing on its C. elegans ortholog PLR-1 and its involvement in neural development and intercellular signalling mechanisms. She completed an internship at Università degli Studi della Campania “Luigi Vanvitelli” in Italy, where she conducted research on neuropathic pain, gaining hands-on experience in an international laboratory environment. Enjoys travelling and exploring new countries.

Her project investigates the role of the RNF43 gene in neuronal development using C. elegans, with a particular focus on its ortholog PLR-1 and its involvement in neural development and intercellular signalling mechanisms.

Originally from Karadeniz Ereğli, she developed a strong interest in science and innovation from an early age. She currently serves as Vice President of the AGU uniBiotech Club, where she has organised multiple international congresses with invited speakers and contributed to a bi-monthly journal, developing design and content creation skills. She also completed an Erasmus traineeship in Italy, gaining hands-on experience in neuropathic pain research in an international laboratory environment. Enjoys travelling and adapting to new cultures.

Investigating the functional role of the lad-2 gene, which encodes a cell adhesion molecule of the Ig-superfamily, in C. elegans. Using transgenic fluorescent markers and genetic crosses, she analyses neuronal morphological changes and connection errors in a lad-2 mutant background, aiming to shed light on the gene’s role in neurodevelopmental processes, axon orientation, and nervous system organisation.

Her work focuses on the functional characterisation of the TMEM132B gene in C. elegans, investigating its role in nervous system development and function, behavioural phenotypes, and cellular stress responses. Using genetic crosses, behavioural analyses, and fluorescence microscopy, she aims to contribute to the understanding of molecular mechanisms underlying neurological and rare diseases. She has gained research experience in biochemistry, neuroscience, and cancer biology, and completed an internship at Università degli Studi della Campania Luigi Vanvitelli in Italy, where she participated in neurological research involving animal models.

Bio coming soon.

Investigating the functional role of the IFT-88 gene, which encodes a critical component of the intraflagellar transport machinery, in Caenorhabditis elegans. The project involves humanising the C. elegans model to reflect human genetic variants, analysing the impact of these mutations on ciliary structure and cellular signalling. Through variant data analysis and phenotypic characterisation, the work aims to contribute to the understanding of the molecular basis of ciliopathies and provide insights into potential diagnostic approaches for rare genetic disorders.

BSc student in Molecular Biology and Genetics with hands-on wet-lab experience. She has worked on the RAB35 gene, a small GTPase involved in membrane trafficking and endocytic recycling pathways in C. elegans. Her laboratory experience includes PCR, cell lysis, agarose gel electrophoresis, and generating transgenic lines. Outside the lab, she is learning German and enjoys hiking.

Kaplan Lab · since 2025

Undergraduate Bioengineering student working at the intersection of biological sciences and computational tools. He is the lead developer of CiliaMiner, a comprehensive bioinformatics web platform specifically designed for Caenorhabditis elegans genomics, and is actively contributing to the development of CiliaHub, aiming to create a dynamic integrated ecosystem for cilia-related research data. His work focuses on enhancing data accessibility and visualisation to solve complex challenges in health sciences.

Background in integrating technology with life sciences, building software solutions for genomic data. Outside the lab, interested in startup management and bridging bioengineering with real-world health challenges.

CiliaMiner is a bioinformatics project that analyses in which cells cilia-related genes are expressed and investigates which diseases may be linked to mutations in these genes. Gene–cell–disease relationships are systematically examined and presented via a user-friendly platform, with the aim of helping researchers and students better understand cilia biology and contributing to the discovery of potential disease mechanisms.

In parallel, he is developing QRATEX — a QR-based, AI-powered customer feedback platform — and also pursues music-related projects.

Working on CiliaHub and CiliaAI, contributing to the development and maintenance of cilia-related research databases and AI-powered tools for the lab.